This invention relates generally to educational development books and, more particularly, to an apparatus having a checkbook-style picture pad and diary for teaching and encouraging a child to write about common life experiences.
Fostering the desire and developing a child""s ability to write effectively is a task that is not always successfully accomplished in an academic setting. In addition, practical life skills such as the responsibility of handling a checkbook are not typically introduced until a child""s teenage years or beyond. Although various methods have been proposed for teaching creative and dialogue writing, these methods do not teach practical life skills while encouraging children to write about common life experiences.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a method and apparatus for teaching and encouraging experiential writing. Further, it is desirable to have a checkbook-style picture pad to encourage writing about viewing common places and things and following instructions to correctly fill out respective sheets. Finally, it is desirable to have an apparatus in which respective sheets representing places or things viewed by a child may be placed in a diary along with a more detailed description of the viewing experience.
A method and apparatus for teaching and encouraging experiential writing includes a checkbook-style picture pad having a cover constructed of flexible material that is folded into first and second portions along an axis extending longitudinally therebetween. A plurality of sheets are affixed to the cover along the axis with an adhesive coating connected to common longitudinal edges of the sheets. A top sheet includes instructions as to how to fill out subsequent sheets. Top sheet excluded, each sheet includes a picture imprinted thereon that is distinctively different from a picture imprinted on any other sheet. Each picture depicts a common object such as a car or bicycle, or a common place such as a supermarket or museum. Each sheet further includes the name commonly associated with the picture. Each sheet includes the first letter of the name positioned along the lower edge or corner and the sheets are arranged in alphabetical order based on those first letters. Each sheet includes a checkbox for indicating that a child has actually viewed the place or thing depicted in the picture and includes spaces for recording the location, date, and time of the viewing and for writing notes about the experience. A signature line is also included upon which a child may sign his name when all other information has been recorded, just as with a real checkbook.
The apparatus further includes a diary having a plurality of pages 49 affixed to a spine between front and back covers. Each page includes a front side capable of holding a sheet having been removed from the picture pad. Each page also includes a second side having space for writing in greater detail about the experience of viewing the place or thing depicted by a picture on a selected sheet. Therefore, a selected sheet may be removed from the picture pad after viewing the place or thing depicted in the respective picture and the sheet may be releasably coupled to the first side of a selected diary page. Then, a detailed description of the viewing experience may be written on the second side of an adjacent diary page facing the selected sheet. This method and apparatus is useful for encouraging children to be observant of their surroundings, to write about life experiences, and to follow instructions similar to those needed to accomplish life skills like managing a checkbook.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for teaching and encouraging a child to write about life experiences within the framework of managing a checkbook.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus, as aforesaid, having a checkbook-like picture pad having a plurality of sheets with each sheet having a picture of a common place or object.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus, as aforesaid, in which each sheet of the picture pad is arranged alphabetically so as to teach a child the alphabet and what letter each picture starts with.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus, as aforesaid, having instructions for filling out the picture pad sheets and placing them in a diary.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus, as aforesaid, in which each sheet includes a checkbox so that a child can check off a picture when it has actually been viewed.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus, as aforesaid, which teaches and encourages good observation and writing skills.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.